BFI
More stories
-
LFF 2015: ‘Under Electric Clouds’ envisages a Russia of the near future struggling with the legacy of its Soviet forebears
In 2013, renowned Russian filmmaker Alexey German died before he could complete his astonishing final film Hard to Be a God which, after being completed by his wife, screenwriter Svetlana Karmalita, and his son Alexey German Jnr, screened at last year’s London Film Festival. More
-
LFF 2015: ‘Ruined Heart: Another Love Story between a Criminal and a Whore’
A quick search of the film Ruined Heart: Another Love Story between a Criminal and a Whore reveals that it is an expanded version of a 2012 short by Filipino poet Khavn De La Cruz (known simply as KHAVN) and that pretty much explains the feature’s shortcomings in a nutshell. More
-
LFF 2015: ‘Yakuza Apocalypse’ is the greatest yakuza vampire movie ever made
Yakuza Apocalypse is the greatest yakuza vampire movie ever made. It also appears to be the only yakuza vampire movie ever made, and if Miike’s surreal, violent, hilarious and unashamedly bonkers film is anything to go by, it will probably be the last. More
-
BFI London Film Festival 2015: ‘Hitchcock/Truffaut’ essential viewing for true cinephiles
Hitchcock/Truffat Written by Kent Jones and Serge Toubiana Directed by Kent Jones France/USA, 2015 In 1962, Francois Truffaut, one of the glittering leading lights of the French nouvelle vague sat down for a fortnight of intricate and comprehensive interviews with master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock at his offices in sun-blessed Hollywood. Contrary to his current position as one of […] More
-
LFF 2015: ‘The Club’ finds moments of grace and meaning amongst the sinful and depraved
Director Pablo Larraín is known for his extremely fascinating social commentaries about his native Chile. Most famously, he tackled the Pinochet regime and its legacy with his trilogy comprising Tony Manero, Post-Mortem and No. With The Club, Larraín looks at Catholicism, another major Chilean institution, and the abuses of power that can occur within the priesthood. More
-
LFF 2015: ‘The Corpse of Anna Fritz’ is a surprisingly tame necrophilia thriller
The objectification of women and the ravenous consumption of celebrity culture are some of the very clear themes that inform the narrative of The Corpse of Anna Fritz, the debut feature of Spanish director Hèctor Hernández Vicens. More
-
LFF 2015: ‘Mountains May Depart’ is a partly gripping relationship drama that overstays its welcome
Following the brilliant A Touch of Sin, auteur and Chinese master Jia Zhangke returns with a similarly structured, yet more narratively linked, portrait of China in the new millennium. Mountains May Depart is two-thirds of a gripping relationship drama that captures not only a China in constant flux, but also the universality of human experience. More
-
LFF 2015: ‘Bone Tomahawk’ is a character-driven Western with a horror spin that engages despite its languid pace
To describe Bone Tomahawk as a “horror-Western” is good shorthand, but could be a little misleading. The film indeed has horror elements but novelist turned screenwriter/director S. Craig Zahler seems more interested in spending time with his four main protagonists as they travel across country, letting their different personalities and world views, and the harshness of the terrain, challenge them on their journey More
-
BFI London Film Festival 2015: ‘Assassination’ brings the Tarantino touch to an important period of South Korean history
Assassination is pure entertainment. Director Choi Dong-hoon pulls together an astonishing group of talent both in front and behind the camera to portray a story close to South Korea’s heart with humour, pathos, gorgeous cinematography and a series of impressively bombastic action scenes to create one of the most exciting adventure films in recent years. More
-
BFI London Film Festival: ‘Der Nachtmahr’ a shifty, unsettling debut feature
Der Nachtmahr Directed by Akiz Written by Achim Bornhak Germany, 2015 German nu-techno artist Akiz opens his debut film with a meek disclaimer to ‘play this film loud’, a rare moment of quiet trepidation before all sorts of sonic and symbiotic hell breaks loose. Tina (Carolyn Genzkow) and her teenage friends are veterans of the […] More
-
BFI London Film Festival 2015: ‘Suffragette’ impactfully chronicles a long, hard struggle
Suffragette Written by Abi Morgan Directed by Sarah Gavron UK, 2015 As the high-profile spearhead of UK film culture, the London Film Festival thrives on promoting the heritage films that its indigenous industry clings to so dearly: the historical and period dramas which keep the production designers, wardrobe wranglers and most of the Royal Shakespeare Company solvent throughout another procurement drive of Elizabethan ruffs, […] More
-
BFI London Film Festival: ‘Gold Coast’ is a problematic colonialism drama
Stories about slavery can be a tricky proposition, especially if your story is from the Caucasian point of view, because there is a delicate balance to be struck when considering the protagonist’s actions and motivations. More
Load More
Congratulations. You've reached the end of the internet.